Bottle seal or closure.



No. 808,567. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905.

O. E. MCMANUS. f BOTTLE SEAL 0R CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU.9.1Q04.

UNITED STAT ES PAT E NT CFFTGE.

CHARLES E. MGMANUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CHARLES E.MOMANUS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE SEAL OR CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed December 9, 1904:. Serial N0. 236,222.

This invention relates to closures or seals-- for bottles or otheranalogous containers, and particularly to closures or seals of thatclass in which a sealing-disk is employed and forced into engagementwith a receiving-groove in the wall of the bottle-neck to retain it inengagement therewith and seal the neck of the bottle securely againstthe escape of its contentsand any gases which may be used to charge thecontents.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel construction ofbottle-neck and seal which possesses superior advantages in point ofsimplicity, durability, ease of application of the seal, and theconnection of the seal with the bottle-neck in such manner that thepressure of the contained liquid or gases will serve to force the sealmore securely in engagement, and thereby effect the retention of thecontents of bottles charged to a high deree. b Another object of theinvention is to provide a seal of the disk type of special form andcharacteristics and adapted to cooperate with a receiving-groove in thebottle-neck, which is also of special form and is provided with meanswhereby when the edge of the disk is inserted therein a tongueand-grooveconnection will be formed between the wall of the neck and edge of thedisk and the opposite walls of the grooved edge of the disk compressedand forced into engagement with the walls of the receiving-groove, so asto tightly hold the disk against displacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a disk which maybe easily and cheaply manufactured, which is impervious to moisture, andwhich when exposed to contact with the confined liquid will slightlyswell or become enlarged upon its inner face without affecting the bodyor outer face thereof, such swelling causing the said inner face of theseal to more securely close the joint between the seal and itsreceivinggroove.

With

these and other objects in view the-..

invention consists of the features of constructlon, combmation, andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is'a verticalsection through the neck of a bottle and a bottle-seal constructed inaccordance with the invention, showing the latter placed in position inthe receivinggroove in the bottle-neck for application to close theneck. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the seal forced into position toclose the bottle-neck. Fig. 3 is also a vertical section showing theseal as it appears when applied. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on anenlarged scale, through the bottle-neck, I showing the construction ofthe receiving-grooves and interposed tongue. Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail section through one side of the bottleneck and the adjacent edgeportion of the seal, showing the manner in which the latter is held andthe tongue-and-groove connection formed when the seal is forced intoclosed position. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the seal as it appearsprior to application, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1designates the neck of a bottle or other suitable container, the wall ofwhich is provided adjacent to its mouth with an internal annularreceivinggroove 2, divided by an intermediate circumferential tongue orflange 3, thus forming upper and lower receiving-recesses 4 and 5. Asshown, the flange or tongue 3 extends con tinuously around the groove;but, if desired, it may consist of a series of spaced segments. Thetongue 3 has its inner edge rounded, tapered, or pointed to adapt it toserve the function of a divider and spreader, as hereinafter described,and is of less width than the upper and lower walls of the groove. Theupper wall 6 extends inwardly to a point slightly beyond the plane ofthe edge of the tongue; but the lower wall 7 is wider or broader andprojects inwardly to a greater extent, thus forming an annularsupporting shoulder or seat 8.

The seal or closure 9 is in the form of a flat circular disk of afibrous composition and is made in practice of somewhat greaterthickness than the full depth of the groove 2. In

the process of manufacturing these disks they are cut out to the desiredshape from a fiat sheet of fibrous material and then subjected tosuitable treatment and to the action of a former to impart to the disk aconcavoconvex shape, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 7. The fibrouscomposition of which the disk is made adapts it when brought intocontact with a liquid to slightly expand or swell at the point where theliquid comes in contact therewith, which characteristic of the seal ismade use of to secure a firmer connection of the same with thebottle-neck and a tighter closure of the joint to prevent the escape ofgases. The said composition is also of a durable nature and of suchclose texture as to prevent the escape of gases through the same evenwhen the bottle or other container is charged to a high degree.

In applying the seal to close the neck of a bottle the seal is placedwith its concaved face downward into the bottle-neck with its edgeprojecting into the groove and abutting against the edge of the tongue,as shown in Fig. 1, which operation of placing or feeding the seals intoposition may be performed by hand or by a suitable automatic feeder.After the seal is placed into position, as described, a plunger 10,preferably formed of steel and having a head 11, composed of rubber orother soft material, andof a size to fit within the bottle-neck, ismoved downward into the mouth of the bottle, so that its head 11 willengage the convexed face of the body of the disk and in the preliminarymovement of said plunger straighten the disk out. This operation willcause the edge of the disk to be forced inwardly against the tongue orflange 3, the edge of which will cut into or divide the edge of thedisk, as shown in Fig. 5, thus forming a tongue-androove connectionbetween the disk and ottle-neck. At the same time the flange will alsospread the upper and lower walls of the groove thus formed in the edgeof the disk and compress the same, thereby forcing them against theupper and lower walls 6 and 7 of the groove 2 and clamping the edge ofthe disk firmly in position in said groove. The final movement of theplunger will then force the disk to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3,and 5, in which the center or body of the disk is shown as being forceddownward below or on an arc whose center lies below the plane of thegroove, thus concaving the upper face of the disk and convexing itslower edge, so that the latter will lie just below the plane of theshoulder 8. By this means of applying the disk the disk will besupported beyond its divided edge upon the seat or shoulder 8, wherebyit will be firmly supported in position against inward movement. Asstated, the fibrous composition used in the manufacture of the disk isof such a nature that a portion thereof when ex posed to a liquid willswell or become enarged. Owing to this characteristic of the material,the lower or concave face of the inserted seal will swell when thecontents of the bottle come in contact therewith, thus crowding thelower edge of the seal against the upper edge and inner face of theshoulder 8, so as to hermetically seal the joint at that point andeffectually prevent the escape of confined gas or gases employed tocharge the contents of the bottle. The seal may be removed when it is.desired to discharge the contents of the bottle by the use of anypreferred form of extractor.

My improved seal while especially adapted for bottles may be used inconnection with containers of any other type.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

the construction and mode of operation of.

the invention will be understood without a further extended description.

Changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In abottleseal, a bottle having a sealreceiving groove, a seal seated insaid groove, and means forming a tongue-and-groove connection betweenthe seal and wall of the groove.

2. In a bottleseal, a bottle having a sealreceiving groove, a sealseated in said groove, and means within the groove for expanding theedge of the seal and fastening it in said groove.

3. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal having its edgeseated in said recess, and means within the recess and engaging the edgeof the seal to secure it in position.

4. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal expanded into saidrecess, and means for automatically auxiliarly fastening the edge of theseal upon the expansion of the same into the recess.

5. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal having its edgeinserted in the said recess, and a tongue in the recess dividing theedge of the seal and pressing the divided portions into engagement withthe walls of the recess.

6. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess provided with a tonguetherein to groove the edge of a seal and form a locking connectionbetween the bottle and seal.

7. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided with atongue having a dividing edge to divide or groove the edge of aninserted seal.

8. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, the lower wall of the recessextending inwardly beyond. the plane of the upper wall thereof andforming a seat, and a tongue within the recess and between said walls,and

a seal having its edge inserted in said recess and divided by thetongue, the divided portion of the edge of the seal being clamped by thetongue against the walls and seat of the recess.

9. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided with atongue for grooving and clamping the edge of a seal therein.

10. A bottle having a receiving-recess, a seal having its edge seated insaid recess, and means in said recess for simultaneously forming alocking connection with the seal and clamping the same against the wallsof the recess.

1 1. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided withmeans for retaining the edge of a seal therein.

12. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided withmeans for clamping the edge of a seal therein.

13. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided withmeans for grooving and clamping the edge of a seal;

14. A bottle having a seal-receiving groove or recess provided withmeans for holding the edge of a seal therein in compressed condition.

15. A bottle having a'seal-receiving recess provided with means forgrooving the edge of a seal and clamping the wings of the groovedportion against the walls of the recess.

16. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess provided with a sealgrooving and holding tongue between its upper and lower walls, an inwardextension of its lower wall forming a supporting-seat.

17. In a bottle-seal, a bottle having a seal receiving groove, a sealhavingits edge seated in said groove, and means in the groove forfastening the edge of the seal therein.

18. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess provided with a sealengaging and retaining tongue set back from the entrance to said recess.

19. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal seated therein, andmeans for peripherally interlocking the seal with the wall of the bottlewithin the recess.

20. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess formed with top and bottomWalls, and an in tegral seal engaging and retaining device intermediatesaid walls.

21. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal seated therein, andmeans within the recess for expanding and wedging the edge of the sealtherein.

22. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, a seal seated therein, andmeans whereby the action of inserting the seal both seats and locks theedge thereof Within the recess.

23. A bottle having a seal-receiving recess, and a seal-fastenerarranged in the recess and adapted to engage and fasten the edge of aseal upon the insertion of the same therein.

24. A bottle having an outlet provided with a seal-receiving recessopening at its inner side into the outletpassage, a seal inserted byexpansion into said recess to close the outlet-passage, and means tolock the edge of the seal within the recess when said seal is expandedtherein.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. MoMANUS.

Witnesses:

O. 0. 11mm, W. H. CLARKE.

